


into the new, dark light

by StrangerInAStrangeLand



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Betrayal, Love, M/M, au where stephen goes to the sanctum earlier and meets kaecilius, lots of homoerotic tension here, lovers to enemies kinda, magic fuckery ensues, summoning demons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22329565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangerInAStrangeLand/pseuds/StrangerInAStrangeLand
Summary: When Kaecilius first laid his eyes on the scruffy homeless man Mordo had brought in, he didn't expect much of him. But he might be more useful than he realized...
Relationships: Kaecilius/Stephen Strange, Karl Mordo/Stephen Strange (one-sided)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35
Collections: MCU Space Ships 2019





	into the new, dark light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thedevilchicken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedevilchicken/gifts).



> so this was my prompt for my MCU Space Ships Challenge: "Strange goes to Kamar Taj earlier, while Kaecilius is still around. Would Kaecilius be involved in Strange's training? Would he try to recruit him?" 
> 
> hope you like it! 
> 
> title comes from Heel Turn 2 by The Mountain Goats

When Mordo brought a scruffy, arrogant, conceited man to the steps of the Kamar-Taj, Kaecilius had no idea what to think about him. 

"You're just a tiny, momentary speck within an indifferent universe," he growled into The Ancient One's face with a condescending tone. The woman just stood before him, unfazed by his words. 

He had to admit, he was impressed by the stranger's ability to yell in her face like that. He'd been meaning to do that for awhile now, but he assumed he would just fail to get through her, just like the stranger. 

"I see through  _ you _ !" The man proclaimed, sticking his finger into an unamused Ancient One's chest. And in an instant, the motion was returned, and suddenly the man's spirit flew out of his body. 

Kaecilius grabbed Mordo by the shoulder and pulled him aside. 

"Mordo," he began. "I know I shouldn't comment on your character judgement, but...why him?" 

The other sorcerer, who was watching the confrontation attentively, turned to him and leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. 

"I found Stephen Strange on the streets, surrounded by muggers. Soon before that, he was healing a stray dog's wound," he explained. "He has a good heart." 

Kaecilius examined his words. So this "Stephen Strange" -- some hotshot ex-doctor -- was just a lost man with no idea of where to go or what to do...

Interesting. 

"Why did you bring him here?" He asked. 

"He needs help." 

"Do you think he'll come around?" 

Mordo motioned over to where The Ancient One and Stephen stood, except now Stephen was kneeling in front of her, awe in his eyes. 

"Teach me..." he said just above a whisper. He presented his shaking, damaged hands to her, as if she were a prophet who knew how to heal them. 

Mordo smiled. "I think he'll come around nicely." 

Kaecilius couldn't agree with him just yet. This...Stephen Strange didn't entirely trust The Ancient One yet, but he was  _ desperate _ .  _ Desperate _ to get better. 

_ Desperate to heal his hands _ . 

* * *

A few days later, Kaecilius watched as the novices practiced summoning their portals. While everyone else prevailed, Strange couldn't bother opening anything. He tried as hard as he could to muster any rings, but no matter what he did, nothing happened. 

_ In 10 minutes, he should give up _ , he thought. 

10 minutes came and went, and Kaecilius was still watching him trying to create a portal. Guess he was more persistent than he thought. 

When the lesson finally ended, Stephen trudged away from the training grounds, defeated. Upon seeing him, Kaecilius approached. 

"I noticed you were struggling with your sling ring." 

Stephen instantly grimaced at him, turning away. 

"I don't need your help," he said, one hand covering the other. Kaecilius eyed the tremors in his hands, taking note of them. 

"You seem to be struggling," he gestured towards his hands. 

Stephen didn't respond. He just groaned and continued to walk past him. 

"Don't pity me," he snapped. 

"Do you want to heal your hands, Stephen Strange?" 

A dumbfounded look washed over his face. He turned and nodded without hesitation. 

"Of course I do," he stated with a mocking tone. He reached out his shaking, scarred hands for Kaecilius to see. "Why the hell do you think I'm here?" 

Kaecilius looked down at his hands, tainted by plentiful scars. Stephen pulled them back before he could take another glance. 

"What if I told you I could help  _ elevate _ your power?" Kaecilius offered. 

Stephen crossed his arms, shaking his head. "What are you talking about?" 

"I sense greatness in you, Stephen Strange," he said with a smirk. "You just need to believe me, and I can show you the cure for your hands." 

"What are you, a cult leader?" He snarked in response. "A miracle maker?" 

He shook his head, keeping his smile, and went to grab Stephen's hands. He began muttering an incarnation, channeling an odd glowing energy. Stephen flinched, but watched as the energy glowed from Kaecilius' hands to his. 

Soon, Kaecilius let go of his hands and backed away. Stephen raised a finger to ask him what the hell he just did, but stopped and looked down at his hands. 

They were good as new. 

His eyes widened, stunned at their condition. But the moment was short-lived as the scars swiftly returned to his palms, bringing the pain along with them. Stephen doubled over in pain, bringing his hands to his chest. 

Kaecilius walked up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Stephen looked up at him. 

"H-How-?"

"I'm a sorcerer," he explained simply. "Just like you. Except with far more years of experience."

He extended his hands to solidify the deal. 

"So how about it? If you help me, I can teach you the basic ins and outs of magic -- and  _ more _ ." 

Stephen looked at him, then back at his hands. Maybe he was making a mistake. Maybe his words were nonsense. But the desire to return to his old life was tempting him. Everything could go back to normal... 

He gazed into Kaecilius' hazel eyes and carefully shook his hand. Kaecilius smiled. 

"Where do we go?" 

* * *

Later that night, Kaecilius retreated to the library where he told Stephen to meet him. 

“Just  _ Wong _ ? Like Adele?”

He found his new friend awaiting a response from the stern-faced substitute librarian. All he responded with was a roll of his eyes as he exited the study. Stephen crossed his arms, distraught, mocking him under his breath. 

“I see you’ve met Hamir’s son," Kaecilius spoke up, stepping towards him. Stephen turned around, clutching his chest.

"You could've just, you know, announced your presence," he criticized. "Instead of showing up like a ghost."

Choosing to ignore this, Kaecilius pointed at the doorway. "He doesn’t come here often anymore. Too busy protecting the Hong Kong Sanctum.”   


Stephen snickered, gazing at the door. “I wonder if he ever laughs.”

Kaecilius rolled his eyes, pulling out a book from under his arm. He flipped through the pages until he found one that had been torn out of the book. 

"Read this spell." 

He handed Stephen the torn page. Stephen looked down at it, confusion flashing his face. 

"What is this? Sanskrit?" He asked, looking at him like he was crazy. 

"No, not Sanskrit," he affirmed. "Not Hindi, not Arabic, not even Latin. It's a language not many have seen." 

Stephen's glared at him, annoyed. "Then how do you expect me to read it?" 

Kaecilius smirked. "Just look at the page." 

Stephen gave him another bewildered look, but begrudgingly examined the page. The squiggles were all nonsense to him, but the more he focused on them, the more they seemed to form some coherent language. He opened his mouth to try and pronounce the words, then suddenly, the words began to spill out of his mouth effortlessly. 

The two watched in awe as the boundaries of the library suddenly fell apart, replaced by a starry universe. Soon, the two were alone, only accompanied by the ambiance of space. Stephen stopped uttering the spell to look around the new universe in pure astonishment. 

"What is this?" He asked, still in disbelief that he managed to summon this new world. 

"A spell from the Dark Dimension,” Kaecilius replied, admiring the newly built skies. “A dimension ruled by Dormammu." 

Stephen turned to him, eyebrows furrowing in familiar confusion. "Who?" 

"An eldritch being with unimaginable cosmic power,” Kaecilius answered, taking the book from his hands “To gain his abilities would mean enabling strength, control, and power beyond anything you could imagine." 

"How did you learn about this?"

He paused in thought, a wave of melancholy washing over him. He looked at Stephen dead in the eye, bitterness in his gaze. 

"The Ancient One,” he said bluntly. 

"The...Ancient One?" Stephen repeated, eyes widening once again. Kaecilius sighed, nodding in affirmation.

"She's been tapping into the Dark Dimension to strengthen her abilities,” he explained, trying to suppress his own anger. “How do you think she's survived so long?"

Stephen looked around the pocket dimension once again, then looked down at his hands. Same tremors, shakiness, and pain. Yet he had enough power to conjure an entire universe. He could go back to New York, back to his old life, if he had this much power. 

"Does Mordo know about this?" 

Kaecilius shook his head. "The Ancient One doesn't want her students to know of the Dark Dimension's capabilities. She wants that power all to herself. I think that's pretty greedy of her, wouldn't you say?" 

Stephen hesitated to answer. He swallowed thickly, then sighed with dejected agreement.

"Yes." 

He earned a sympathetic stare in response. Kaecilius huffed, shaking his head. 

"She isn't who she says she is. You can't trust her. She's a dangerous woman." 

He went silent. So did Stephen. Suddenly, both of them were trapped in quiet, endless sky. It felt less beautiful now...more claustrophobic. Kaecilius watched as Stephen took in this newfound news, saddened that he had to find out like this. But at least now, they could make a change. 

"You know what I would do with this power?” Kaecilius spoke all of a sudden. 

Stephen turned to him, eyes wide, with no idea of how to reply. 

“If I had that power, Stephen Strange,” Kaecilius continued, sliding his hand across the sky. “I would give all human beings eternal life. No one would have to watch their loved ones die. No one would die lonely or forgotten. All the possibilities in the world would be at their fingertips." 

He turned back to Stephen, awaiting his response. Stephen seemed awestruck, possibly onboard with him, but then he asked another question. 

"Is this safe?" 

"Since when has safe resulted in success?!” Kaecilius exclaimed impatiently, his voice echoing within the tresses of the universe. His eyes were lit up with wonder. Amazement. He smiled, chuckling with joy. “With this power, Wong wouldn't have to worry about his sanctum. Mordo could see his family again. All illness on Earth would be cured!”

Stephen contemplated his wondrous promises, enchanted by his selfless desires. Was he correct? Could this power be the answer to every problem in the world? Kaecilius reached out to him, softly grabbing his hands. 

“And you, Stephen," he said slowly, weaving his fingers with his. "You could fix your hands." 

For a moment, Stephen felt the pain disappear. With this power, that moment could be permanent. He looked down at his palms, once again amazed by their brief stabilization.

"I could...fix my hands," he repeated out loud. 

"Yes! Everyone on Earth would be happy! We can do it. Together." 

Suddenly, Stephen pulled away from him, his smile faltering into a confused frown. 

" _ We? _ " He uttered in disbelief. All this magic at his fingertips --  _ his  _ fingertips. 

Kaecilius gazed at him, grinning brightly. He nodded his head.

"You and I aren't so different, Stephen,” he began. He held his hands once again, making sure he was looking him in the eye. He spoke every word clearly, making sure each one did its magic. “Everyone calls us arrogant, selfish, conceited, when really, we just want what's best for the Earth. You're a doctor, I'm a visionary. I mean, we're both just  _ momentary specks  _ within an indifferent universe.”

That sentence struck Stephen like a rock. His eyes widened, his mouth fell agape, and he felt like he was...understood. Kaecilius watched as his gaze slowly shifted from uncertainty into agreement. He let his hands melt into his, finally allowing himself to connect with him. 

“Matter and nothing more,” Stephen finished. Kaecilius replied with a coy smile. 

“If you work with me, I promise to give you the world,” he intertwined their fingers together, turning to face the world. A world that they could rule side-by-side. Stephen stared at the world he created, eyes lit up as he imagined the possibilities that could come from this power. “So, are you with me?" 

For the first time, Stephen didn’t hesitate. He instantly looked back at Kaecilius and nodded. 

"Yes,” he smiled, intoxicated with power. “Let’s do this.”

Kaecilius smirked, pulling Stephen into a kiss as the stars disappeared and they were back in reality. Stephen melted into the kiss, resting his shaking hands onto Kaecilius’ shoulders, still drunk with possibilities. 

Together, they would become one. 

* * *

The next few nights were filled with pocket galaxies, smuggled books, and private lessons. Kaecilius kept his promise, teaching him the ins and outs of portals, spells, relics, all that could be imagined. And in return, Stephen learned how to utilize the Dark Dimension's power. 

Kaecilius had to admit, he had grown on him. He could tell his feelings were reciprocated, as nervous pecks grew into longing kisses. Their nights together grew longer, more intimate. It came to a point where he would just be passing through the hallways of the Kamar-Taj and overheard a conversation between Mordo and Wong. 

"I don't trust him, Wong." 

"Kaecilius has been working at this temple for years, Karl. What does he have to gain out of overthrowing The Ancient One?" 

"I...I don't know. But I don't like that he's wrapping Stephen into it." 

"Why, are you  _ jealous _ ?" 

Kaecilius suppressed a chuckle. The great Karl Mordo, The Ancient One's right hand man, envious over the fact a novice was paying him less attention. 

"He's my  _ student _ ," Mordo stated arrogantly. "It's my job to teach him how to not use his magic for immoral causes. Kaecilius, on the other hand, is a wild card." 

A wild card, huh? That was a new one. 

"If you want Stephen's affection, you can't expect me to tell him that," Wong said. " _ You _ must tell him yourself." 

Kaecilius heard footsteps traveling away from the conversation spot. He peeked over his shoulder, briefly seeing Mordo petrified in a state of contemplation, before he continued on his way at well. He watched Mordo walk away, slowly and full of thought.

Huh. Perhaps Wong was right on the nose. 

He never told Stephen about their bickering, of course. Stephen was already his. There was no use in stirring some unneeded competition. 

From every day onward, though, when he passed by Mordo through the halls, he would receive a silent, scornful glare. It barely phased him, however, as he had more important things to think about rather than arguing with a romantic rival.

Such as the night when Dormammu would come to Earth. 

The night Stephen completed his classes -- 3 weeks ahead of the other novices -- Kaecilius had brought out the Book of Cagliostro once again. 

"We must get in contact with Dormammu," he said. "Once we bring him to this world, all his power will be ours." 

Stephen nodded attentively, leaning in to kiss Kaecilius on the cheek. "Anything you say."

He smiled at him, replying with a quick peck on his lips. 

"Focus." 

He directed his attention back to flipping through the book, settling on another worn out page detailing the summoning process. He and Stephen intertwined fingers, reading the page in full detail before letting their mouths do all the work. 

The spell spilled out of them, once again taking away the floors of the library and replacing them with an endless void. Suddenly, they were floating, encapsulated in a dark emerald and amethyst galaxy. 

Kaecilius felt the wind rush through his face. He saw bright violet eyes piercing thought his skin. 

It was Dormammu. 

The entity watched him attentively, yet impatiently. It knew he was not worth its time. Kaecilius stared into his eyes, hypnotized by his glare. He was surrounded by power...and he wanted all of it. 

But before he could say anything, Stephen fidgeted. His grip on Kaecilius' hand loosened ever so slightly. Kaecilius glanced at him, pulling himself out of Dormammu's trance, and found that he was trembling almost as badly as his hands. 

"Stephen?" He whispered, attempting to keep his focus on the spell. 

Stephen wasn't as lucky. 

"I...see...I...see," Stephen repeated, his words coming out through pained gasps. "I...see... _ ah! _ "

He suddenly fell to his knees, the galaxy disappearing in an instant. They fall back into the library, back into reality. His hands crashed to the floor, sending a flourish of pain throughout his nerves. He was hyperventilating, his head spinning more than it had ever spun before. He heard the book drop to the floor as Kaecilius rushed to his side. 

"Stephen?" He touched his shoulder, trying to get him to look at him. His entire body was trembling with terror. 

"I saw him...I saw him...I saw him..." Stephen repeated in-between panicked breaths. He stared at the floor, as if ready to collapse onto it at any moment. 

"Stephen, are you alright?" Kaecilius repeated, grabbing both his shoulders to steady him. "What did you see?" 

He grew silent and Kaecilius almost thought he had stopped breathing. But eventually, Stephen painfully brought his head up. He almost recoiled instantly at the state of his face. 

Dark violet cracks, the same color as the everlasting galaxy, were etched underneath Stephen's eyes. A frightening combination of blood and tears fell down his face, dripping onto his robes. 

"W-We…" Stephen began. "We can't do this." 

Kaecilius's eyes went wide. Stephen lunged for the book like a predator hunting its prey. He ripped the summoning spell out of the spine, prompting Kaecilius to attempt to grab the book back. 

"What are you--?" 

"Dormammu…" Stephen cut him off, his breath airy. He pulled on the book, his hands flaring up at the pressure he was exerting onto them. "He told me...he'll destroy Earth..." 

Kaecilius pulled back, keeping an eye on his hands. "But we can rebuild it--" 

" _ No! _ " 

He released the book, cradling his hands to his chest. His body continued to quiver, the face of the monster still etched in his mind. 

"I'm a  _ doctor _ . Not a sorcerer, or a messenger, but a  _ doctor _ . I took an oath not to do harm. I cannot let this...this  _ thing _ invade Earth." 

He forced himself onto his feet, denying Kaecilius when the man tried to help him up. He limped towards the library's exit, continuing to mumble small descriptions of the hellscape he beared witness to. 

"Stephen, wait!" Kaecilius reached out to him, trying to grab his hand. But Stephen didn't turn back. 

"I don't want this power. I don't want any power!" He yelled, segueing into a choked cough. "I'm better off  _ dead _ at this point." 

Kaecilius wanted to reach out again, to try and convince him to stay. But he decided against it, realizing it would do nothing. Stephen was just as arrogant as he was -- protesting against him would be fruitless. So all he could do was clutch the book to his chest and watch as his partner stormed out of his life. 

But only one inch away from the door, Stephen fell to his knees again with a pained gasp. A ripple of slimy ink expelled from his body with a violent cough, his bloody tears falling to the floor. Kaecilius tried to just stand and not interfere, but as Stephen attempted to rasp out a cry for help, something burst out of him. 

"Stephen!"

He disregarded everything and rushed to his side. He wanted to hold him. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to tell him everything would be okay. But before he could pull him up, the door slammed open. 

" _ STRANGE! _ "

Both men looked up at the terrified voice. Standing in the doorway was The Ancient One in all her glory, followed by Mordo and Wong. Upon viewing the scene, The Ancient One's expression shifted from mortified to outraged and she drew her glare towards Kaecilius. 

" _ What _ are you doing?!" 

Kaecilius couldn't focus on her. All he needed was for Stephen to stop choking up sludge. 

"Get up, Stephen." 

Mordo fell to Stephen's side, separating them. He glared at Kaecilius as well, though his expression was less of outrage, and more of disgust. Kaecilius only bothered to look at him for a second, before returning his attention to Stephen.

"Stop…" Stephen muttered, weakly raising his hand to grasp the book. "This power will destroy you. Don't--" 

"Kaecilius!" The Ancient One bellowed again, her eyes fixated on the book in his hands. "Where did you get  _ that _ ?" 

Kaecilius' eyes widened at her voice, now shaky with disbelief. He took his eyes off of Stephen and placed them on The Ancient One, tranquil fury resonating within them. 

"The library," he spoke in a taunting manner, holding the book out. "Did  _ you _ want it,  _ Master _ ?" 

The Ancient One's eyes widened in disbelief. She reached an opened hand out to him. 

"Disobeying my orders is one thing, but dragging a novice into your tricks is another," she scolded, her voice low. "Hand me the book." 

Kaecilius glanced at the book, then back at her, then back at the book. He kept staring at it for what seemed like hours until...he  _ laughed _ . He laughed and laughed and laughed. Right in her face, as if she was some stand-up comedian that said the best joke he ever heard. 

"Look at you!" He yelled, holding the book high above his head. "Caring more about your power than your student." 

"K-Kaecilius, give her the b-book," Stephen rasped painfully, leaning onto Mordo. 

The Ancient One turned to him, her voice shifting into a tone of concern. 

"Strange, we'll talk later." 

Kaecilius  _ seethed _ at that line. As if she, the woman who purposefully hid this information from everyone, actually  _ cared _ about her students. 

His laughter manifested into a quiet growl. He raised his arm into the sky, a crimson blade forming in his hand. He stared The Ancient One dead in the eye. 

"There won't  _ be _ a later." 

And he struck. 

The Ancient One quickly summoned a golden fan and held it above her head, efficiently blocking the blow. Kaecilius jabbed again, aiming for her chest, only to be blocked by yet another fan. 

He continued to swing, eyes filled with fury, only aiming to kill her. She dodged all of his attacks gracefully, which only angered him more. 

" _ Kaecilius! _ " Stephen called out, followed by a coughing fit. He reached out his arm, only to be restrained by Mordo. 

"Stephen, we need to get you to the medical ward," Mordo whispered, averting his eyes from the fight. It took everything inside of him not to step into the fight as well. He and Wong helped him up, despite his protests. 

"Kaecilius, stop this!" Stephen yelled again, as if that would do something. But all it did was get The Ancient One to turn to him again briefly. 

"Strange, you must leave," she asserted, holding her fan to block another blow. " _ Now _ ." 

"Don't act like you care about him!" Kaecilius sneered, raising his sword in the sky. He struck carelessly, allowing her to dodge him with minimal effort. "Don't act like you care about any of us!" 

Stephen wrestled himself out of Mordo and Wong's grasps, using all his power to kneel in front of The Ancient One, protecting Kaecilius. Both of them paused. The Ancient One lowered her fan and looked at him. 

"Strange--" 

"This is my fault," he proclaimed, holding his arms up in surrender. He looked up at her, blood continuing to pool out of his eyes. "I summoned him. I summoned Dormammu. Take me instead."

Silence struck the room. Blood dripped down his face, staining his robes. His hands quivered in the air, their scars more prevalent than ever before. Kaecilius watched as this once astonishingly vigorous man knelt in shame in front of his former master. A pang of guilt struck him. 

"Stephen," he said gently. He placed his arms on his hands and lowered them slowly. "This isn't your fault." 

For a moment, The Ancient One thought he surrendered. Stephen stared at him, shocked by his defeat. 

But as quickly as he had surrendered, he faced The Ancient One yet again, raising his blade. 

"It's  _ yours _ ." 

The Ancient One staggered back, raising her hand in defense as a fan appeared, but it seemed that she would be too late. The sword drew closer and closer to her. She closed her eyes and braced herself, finding a spell at the tip of her tongue in case it were fatal...

" _ NO! _ " 

Kaecilius froze. The Ancient One gasped, her fan disappearing as her fingers leapt to her mouth. Right between them was Stephen, eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the blade piercing his chest. 

"Stephen..." 

The sword dissipated into thin air, sending Stephen to the ground. Kaecilius knelt next to him, trying to find the right spell to heal him. Stephen gave out some pained gasps, his hands rushing to his wound, shaking beyond belief. 

For a moment, Kaecilius forgot about everything except the man slowly dying before him. Struck by his blade, no less. He tried to mutter a spell, but no words came out. Blood continued to pool around Stephen's body, his breaths becoming more shallow by the moment. 

All he could do was place one hand over Stephen's and tilt his head up so he could look into his eyes. 

"Stay with me, Stephen, stay with me!" He begged. Mordo raced towards them, grabbing Kaecilius' wrists and restraining him. Stephen responded with a choked cough, before going limp. 

"Strange..." The Ancient One spoke at last, falling out of her own disbelief. "Wong, get him to the infirmary!" 

Wong took action immediately. He grabbed Stephen's still body with The Ancient One and hurriedly opened a portal to the medical ward. Mordo hauled Kaecilius up, dragging him in the opposite direction, trying not to look back. 

Kaecilius couldn't rebel. He didn't fight against him this time. All he could do was watch as the man he loved -- the man he guided to his grave -- was carried off. Mordo only whispered one thing to him as he tried to remain stoic.

"What the  _ hell _ have you done?" 

* * *

Kaecilius never set an eye on Stephen after that. He was thrown into a restricted cell soon after his battle with The Ancient One, with Wong keeping a firm eye on him. He assumed that would be his forever home now, but that didn't matter.

All he wanted was for Stephen to get better. 

So he astral projected. He flew through the Kamar-Taj, all the way into the infirmary, holding onto some hope. But all that hope diminished once he looked at what was happening before him. 

The Ancient One was kneeling in front of Stephen's motionless body, lying on a cot. The medics' crowded his bed, heads turned away from him, hung low in mournful defeat. 

It was too late. 

Kaecilius stood still, watching the scene with bated breath. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be. He  _ needed _ him. 

But then it dawned on him. If Stephen was truly gone, so would his astral form. 

He didn't dare let the hope resurge in his heart just yet. But he didn't let it leave either. He flew away from the infirmary, searching for any trace of any other astral form. Eventually, he found him floating above Kamar-Taj, looking up at the starry night sky. 

Kaecilius paused, took a deep breath, and approached him. He couldn't make any mistakes this time. This was for Stephen. 

Before he could open his mouth, a question was asked. 

"Why did you want to do it?" 

He froze, surprised that he could sense him. Stephen turned to look at him, his eyes begging for an answer. 

"I told you," Kaecilius said with a sigh. "So everyone would get a chance to live." 

"And you were willing to kill innocents to achieve your goal?" He struck back, voice low. 

"Need to crack a few eggs to make an omelet," Kaecilius shrugged, braving a smile. 

Stephen didn't laugh nor grin. He just stared at him, stone-faced. Kaecilius frowned. 

"I'm sorry. I should've stopped before it got this far. I promise I won't do it." 

A moment of silence. Kaecilius went to grab his hand, but Stephen pulled away before he could. 

"You promised to give me the world. Now, you've taken it away," he stated, facing away. The sight of his pale skin, his blue lips...it filled Kaecilius with sorrow. "Promises can't bring me back."

Kaecilius watched him in silence, turning to look at the starry sky as well. So that was that. He truly was too late.

Stephen lowered his hand, reaching to cling onto Kaecilius' finger. He chuckled sadly, lowering his head. 

"At least I got to look at the stars one last time…" 

His grip grew weaker, and both men knew his time was flourishing. Kaecilius looked at him, eyes wide, begging for some sort of miracle. 

"Stephen..." 

But Stephen just shook his head, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek one final time. 

"I loved you." 

And then Stephen Strange was gone. 

* * *

He returned to his own body at the dead of night. 

The first thing he heard was Wong's voice. 

"I was just starting to like him," he said. He was facing away from him, so he couldn't tell what he was going through. Did he resent him, like Mordo? Or did he pity him, like The Ancient One. 

Either way, he continued. 

"He was growing on me. Mordo really liked him, too," his words beared some bitter sadness. 

It seemed Mordo liked Stephen the same way he did. And now he's taken him away from both of their lives. 

"And I could tell you liked him most of all," he glanced at Kaecilius, face still as calm as ever. Kaecilius stayed quiet, trying to ignore the warmth in his chest. He was right, as always. 

"I'm not going to ask you why you did this, or what you were trying to achieve," he continued, sternly. "I don't think anyone in this temple wants to hear your voice any time soon. But I'll tell you this: if it weren't for The Ancient One, Mordo would've killed you himself."

Kaecilius nodded. He could tell that from the way he threw him into the cell. 

"The Ancient One didn't want to kill anyone, and neither did Stephen," Wong finished. "Think about that." 

And with that, he went back to guarding the cell, leaving both of them alone with just their thoughts. Kaecilius sunk into the floor, listening to his rusted shackles clank together, and stared at the ceiling. The loneliness was suffocating. The solitude as claustrophobic. All worthy of a prisoner like him. 

For the rest of his life, it would just be him wallowing in this lonely cell, hidden in this new, dark light. 

He astral projected once again, letting his spirit travel to the highest point of the Kamar-Taj. He stood at the very top, watching as the stars danced across the midnight sky. Watching, watching, watching. The quiet was no longer excruciating, but instead pleasant. 

Just him, alone, with the beautiful night sky. 


End file.
